1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to the field of vehicle monitoring and vehicle statistics reporting.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to provide a safe environment on and surrounding roads, governmental entities (e.g., countries, states, cities, municipalities, etc.) may implement speed limits. The speed limits may be determined in regards to the conditions of the roadway or the adjacent surroundings. Speed limits are implemented with the hope that drivers will drive at or below the posted speeds. However, at times individuals, whether intentionally or unintentionally, do violate speed limits. Violation of speed limits creates hazardous and even deadly situations for the driver, other vehicles, and/or pedestrians on the same or adjacent roadways.
While speeding in a motor vehicle may be an intentional act, it is often unintentional. In many modern cars superior suspension and noise cancellation techniques eliminate common passive speed indicators, thereby leading individuals to inadvertently exceed the speed limit. In this case, the only way a driver knows whether they are speeding is by checking the readout on their speedometer and comparing it to the speed limit signs posted by governmental entities.
Government entities have done several things to try and deter speeding. Speed limit signs have been erected to inform individuals of the speed limits in certain areas. However, signs often do little to deter violations of speed limits. Government entities have also deployed law enforcement officers to monitor vehicle speeds, stop individuals violating speed limits, and issue citations to individuals violating the speed limits. Government entities have also attempted to halt speeding by placing “road bumps” or “speed bumps” in roadways. However, these attempts to control speed have limited effectiveness by virtue of being intermittent or passive (such as signs, which can often be ignored or overlooked without any ramifications to the driver).
Furthermore, changes in speed limits for a certain area may confuse drivers. For example, speed limits for a certain geographical area may be one speed limit during the day and a different speed limit during the night. Additionally, school zones have different speed limits during school hours than during non-school hours. Due to these different speed limits according to different times of the day or different areas, a substantial responsibility is placed on the driver to remain vigilant at all times. Inevitability, however, drivers' concentration or judgment will lapse, resulting in speeding violations.
Therefore, a need exists for a way to monitor and/or control vehicular speed.